Mules down Kennett with walk-off base hit

A walk-off hit from Noah Spain led the Poplar Bluff Mules baseball squad to victory.

After falling in a double-header from over the weekend, the Poplar Bluff Mules returned to its home field to face off in their first SEMO Conference matchup of the season. The Mules went head-to-head against the Kennett Indians on Tuesday, and with back-to-back losses, they were eager to get back on the winning side.

In a back-and-forth battle, Spain came through in the clutch for the Mules with a base hit to center field for a walk-off 13-12 win over the Kennett.

Spain said a lot was going through his mind, but the encouragement from his teammates helped him stay laser-focused on the task in front of him.

“I’ve been struggling all year, but I didn’t let that get in the way,” Spain said. “My teammates were picking me up, and I knew my time was coming. I had a feeling it was going to be today, so when I was up there, I was saying Bible verses because God gave me this ability to come out here and play. God allowed me to show it today, and I came through big for the team. It feels good.”

Kennett held the upper hand over the Mules as they’ve won the last five meetings. With both offenses going strong at the plate for most of the game, the outcome would come down to the wire.

The Mules got on the board at the bottom of the first inning after Kolby Greenwall singled to get the game going. After a few sacrificed hits and stolen bases, the Mules took a 3-0 lead to close out the first inning.

While holding a 4-0 lead at the top of the third, the Mules saw no end to their strong start, but Kennett had other plans. The Indians tied the game in the top of the third with a single by Hayden Gilmore, a single by Caleb Duncan and a ground out by Ashton Williams.

Kennett captured the lead at 9-5 in the top of the fourth after Williams doubled, Kaiden Prewett and Payton Branum singled, each scoring one run. The momentum seemed to be in the favor of the Indians, but a quick rally from the Mules would put them back out front 12-9 at the bottom of the sixth.

The Mules collected the biggest run with five hits in the inning and landed a big connection from Huffman with a double to the outfield to bring in two runs. With the game tied at 12-12, the Mules had one chance to seal the deal, and with a smash from Spain, they walked away with their second home win to start the season.

Rylan Seesengood stepped on the hill first for the Mules. He gave up three hits and five runs over three innings, striking out four and walking two. Jaxon Patterson stepped on the bump first for Kennett. He gave up two hits and four runs over two innings, striking out two and walking three.

The Mules collected 11 hits in the game. Marcus Tabanera provided the pop in the middle of the lineup and led Poplar Bluff with four batted runs. The second baseman went 3-for-4 on the day.

Dylan Hall, Dylan Bratcher, and Greenwall each collected multiple hits for the Mules.

Kennett collected 10 hits in the game. Williams provided led Kennett with three runs batted in and went 1-for-4 on the day. Gilmore went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Kennett in hits. Duncan and Branum each collected multiple hits for Kennett.

Mules head coach John David Pattillo said it was a great game, and he’s glad that the Mules stayed with it and battled the whole way.

“We made our mistakes but came back and made plays,” Pattillo said. “Noah has struggled a little bit with hitting in the first few games. We know he’s a great hitter, and he showed it when we needed him the most. Kennett is a great program, and we’re fortunate to get a win from this meeting. The kids battled, and we never let up. We hit so much better, which was a big emphasis we were trying to keep coming into this game. The kids did a good job of competing and I’m happy to get the win.”

The Mules will welcome New Madrid County Central on Thursday for their next game.